ASR X Restoration

[@TH3_FURY]

Great restoration of that epic Ensoniq sampler !

[@100ThingsIDo]

Thanks as always Eric :D

[@pyuergens]

Thanks for the video - I’m restoring an ASR X Pro, and the pads are filthy. I’ll use Deoxit D5 for the contacts/board, but how should I clean the pads themselves? Can I soak them in soapy water, or is the contact point on the pad "stem" or other sections of the pads(besides the springs which I will carefully keep an eye on when removing) more than plastic and I should just airdust them?

[@ChipGuy]

Nice restoration. Those potentiometers are actually encoders. From the video it can be seen that the encoder disc already got some wear from the contacts where it will fail again pretty soon. There are better encoders available as replacement parts that use a thick layer of gold where the contacts touch the disc. Some also changed the mechanical encoders to optical or hall generator based ones. They basically last forever.

[@100ThingsIDo]

LOL you are 100% correct... I don't know why I called them Pots! Slip of the brain I guess! A hall effect one would be awesome.. should last 30 years or so!

[@pholcmann]

Thanks for the info! Could you please share the type of encoders you metioned? Thx

[@pholcmann]

Thanks for the info! Could you please share the type of encoders you metioned? Thx

[@dominiquekelley9388]

Great Clean up job!

[@100ThingsIDo]

Thanks Dominique :D

[@Metamophisis]

Dope video yo! You brought it back to life 🔥💣🧨👀

[@100ThingsIDo]

Thanks man! Yep cool box indeed, chopping is a little frustrating I find though! :D

[@Metamophisis]

Yeah I had a Asr X Pro. My friend talked me in to selling it to him came with a sd card installed. I couldn’t edit start and end points like I can on the Asr 10 he figured it out though

[@100ThingsIDo]

@@Metamophisis I managed to add the SCSI and SCSI2SD to mine I thought it would speed things up but the SCSI seems to run about the same speed as the old floppy!

[@Metamophisis]

Ok

[@MrSRellz]

Great video! I have an ASR-X too with the same problems with the encoders and one of my pads not responding properly, so I'll give these tips a try. The other problem I have is that some of the buttons don't respond properly. What would you suggest on that instance?

[@100ThingsIDo]

You can either try spray contact cleaner / isoprop alcohol or if your OK with a soldering iron they are pretty common switches you should be able to find at any decent electronic component supplier :D

[@erowbeats]

Can you tip for the right encoder spare model. I have the same problem. Are they replacable by hand or do you need to sold them out and in?

[@ZenMountain]

Amazing video, very useful, thanks!!

[@100ThingsIDo]

Thanks :D

[@cutdafukup]

Do you have a link or spec measurement for the replacement Springs

[@Darksidetripper]

What kind of screws are on this thing. I have a ASR-X Pro I need to do this too. It has no audio

[@lenin_party]

thanks for this - fixed ALMOST everything with one i picked up thank to this video but i can't work out the pads. all the non-pad buttons on the left hand side work, but only the highest A# key works. i've cleaned the crap out of all possible contacts, even aligned the two ribbon pcbs up perfectly, cleaned in between them.. still just that one A# working. i have to assume some traces have broken internally, but i figure then nothing would work.. any ideas? replacements don't seem to crop up often/if ever. no big deal as i was going to be triggering it via another sequencer anyway to save its poor little brain some bandwidth, but it'd be nice to restore it back to what it was.

[@100ThingsIDo]

Yep, sounds like a bad trace for sure. Check for any soft drink spills on the board that normally seems to be the cause. If not get a multimeter and put in it contiunity mode and check each trace end to end. Hope that helps :D

[@RootedRay]

Thank You

[@lenfranklininstituteoftech517]

Great Video. Ive had my ASR-X since 1998. The disk drive stopped working in 2014. It wont read or write anything. Any idea how to get it repaired?

[@100ThingsIDo]

You could try the basic clean and re-lubrication I showed in the video. If this does not work then I'm pretty sure you get by a working floppy drive from ebay and put it right in. Hope this helps :D

[@perymaysin1594]

Hey, I know this is a pretty old video, but I have an ASRX and the main output jacks are scratchy sounding and sometimes the volume gradually fades out when I’m trying to sample. Once the machine is running for about 10 to 15 minutes it sounds normal. Is it time to retire it?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Hey! So many things could be happening here... maybe try this first. Turn the volume knob full left full right 50 times and see if that fixes anything. If it does get a tech to relace the volume knob and your good :D

[@perymaysin1594]

@@100ThingsIDoThanks for responding. As luck would have it, now the volume on the main outs stays low and has distortion when I try to sample. When I plug my headphones directly into the headphones jack, everything sounds fine. Does that mean something? Really appreciate your insight

[@moss3000]

Can I ask where you got the scsi interface and sd reader?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Scsi interface was from Ebay .. I had a search for quite a while and it cost almost as much as the ASR-X (the red later versions have scsi built in unless someone has taken it out).. The SCSI SD reader kit was from samplerzone.com

[@JEverBeats]

How would I got about fixing the load button? Is this a cleaning job or a replacement issue ? All the other buttons work fine. I can’t load scsi drives or diskettes. Thanks in advance for your time.

[@100ThingsIDo]

Throwing a heap of IPA or contact cleaner into the button might work well for a while but best to replace if you have the skill :D Basic cheap part that should be easy to get from most electrical parts stores :D

[@JEverBeats]

@@100ThingsIDo So do I just spray it from the top of the unit or do I take it apart and spray it? Thanks once again for your time,

[@100ThingsIDo]

@@JEverBeats You will need to take it apart to the point where you can actually see the small switch that is the button then spay it making sure the liquid gets inside. Best to find someone with soldering skills if you can and just get them to replace the button, its a 2 min job once you have the ASR-X stripped down.

[@JEverBeats]

@@100ThingsIDo Thank you so much for your guidance.

[@JEverBeats]

Well your advice worked! I sprayed it and it works like a charm. Thank you so much and I would like to do something nice for you do you have a Patreon account or anything? It’s hard to find honest and great advice these days thank you again, I wish you nothing but the best.

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

Great vid.Are you from Aus or NZ? My asr-x also needs fixing.A adapter is stuck in the headphone jack and the D pad is not making any sound. Do you do repairs foe others?I live in NZ.

[@100ThingsIDo]

I'm in Australia. not sure how expensive it will be to ship back and forth. Sounds like some easy fixes, i might be able to talk you though them. Send me an email.. check ABOUT in the channels main page :D

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

@@100ThingsIDo Hey cheers mate.I'll give it ago by watching your vids and if i have any problems ill send you an email.Greatly appreciated.

[@beataddiktgodd]

Great video, what kind of grease did you use on the floppy drive?

[@100ThingsIDo]

a thick Lithium grease :D

[@musella974]

Very instructive tutorial ! Thanks a lot !

[@100ThingsIDo]

Glad you enjoyed :D

[@TUBEDIGGA]

HI, would you mind sharing the pad spring dimensions/part number? I need to replace many of mine. Many Thanks :)

[@100ThingsIDo]

Hey there, I really enjoy your videos. You make some really sweet beats! I'll see what I can do. Its a bit of a pain to get into .. they just need to fit the pin that holds them in place and at the correct play height.. I'm guessing you could go over or slightly under in size without too much problem. I'll see what I can do over the next few days for you! :D

[@TUBEDIGGA]

@@100ThingsIDo Thanks, appreciate it! Any advice is welcome, cheers :)

[@juliebabygirl]

Needless to say that you really have to know what you're doing, and obviously you do! :D If I see some dust on my keybed, I send the whole unit back to the factory for a replacement! :D Haha

[@100ThingsIDo]

haha! LOL .. You are correct.. I'm just cheap when it comes to buying the stuff I want and would rather learn to fix it than pay a little extra :D

[@juliebabygirl]

@@100ThingsIDo I would probably go that route too if I was as good as you at fixing things :)

[@tommydogs4855]

DO you offer some service for people with Ensoniq gear? Because I have an old ASRX and I really would like someone to help me out because I do not have that type of patience when it comes to DIY in all seriousness. I want the SD Floppy swap ? Let me know bud....TA

[@100ThingsIDo]

I'm happy to help out but I'm in Australia so it might be a bit impossible to get the Sampler to me depending on where you are.

[@chenguefer156]

I like this shit.

[@100ThingsIDo]

LOL, Glad you enjoyed :D

[@ves120]

Nice. I’ve had the x since the they came out in 97. My track edit button no longer works. Any idea how I could fix that?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Yeh its most prob just worn out. It's an easy part to get and replace. If your good with a soldering iron all you should have to do is unsolder it and replace... if not then maybe ask for someone on the ASR-X on facebook if someone is local ?

[@darkwatamusic9317]

Great video would love to restore mine and modify it with sd reader, do you work on them?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Hey man!,Thanks, I can restore ASR-X's but I'm in Melbourne Australia so shipping and Import Tax might be extreme (and very very slow). :D

[@Niele160]

Can I contact you for some questions in regards of the floppy drive? I have bought an ASR-X and it doesn't recognize any disk I put in, or try to save to. It keeps saying 'Disk not readable!'. I will pay your for your time, obviously. I'm not too familiar with opening up electronics but I''m not afraid to do so. Just need to know what to check, and what to do when opening it up. Kind regards, Daniel

[@100ThingsIDo]

Hey Daniel, get my email address from going to the channel main page then clicking ABOUT, you should be able it see it in there. I'll do my best to help! :D

[@johng5261]

Can we ask what you paid for this? I got one for $150 with messed up encoders. Wonder if I got a good deal or not.

[@100ThingsIDo]

$150 is a very good deal, I paid around $230usd for mine without SCSI :D

[@johng5261]

@@100ThingsIDo my encoders are shot though, they skip and jump. I fear that cleaning them might not be enough. Hopefully it will though temporarily.

[@100ThingsIDo]

@@johng5261 They are a cheap part and easy to replace for someone with medium soldering skills, if you don't have enough practice maybe see if someone in the Ensoniq facebook group can help out close to where you live ?

[@johng5261]

@@100ThingsIDo I've done tons of desoldering and soldering. I'm just that lazy these days :)

[@Smbmuzic]

I have one that needs fixing. Can I send it to you?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Are you in Australia ? Whats up with it man ? Send me an email.. check ABOUT in the channels main page :D

[@Smbmuzic]

100 Things I Do I’m not but I’ll check it all out thanks

[@Smbmuzic]

100 Things I Do what’s the email if you don’t mind.

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

Mate,ive fixed the headphone jack.Could you pls tell me the rivet size you are using-and what size screws are you using for the disk drive? And are you unscrewing the rivets with some sort of screwdiver? My old mate tried a repair years ago and used a rivet drill to open the asrx and didnt put them back.Can you give me your email address pls so i can send you some pics? Help is greatly appreciated.

[@100ThingsIDo]

Hey man, they are Torx screws :) T8 Torx screwdriver or bit should get them loose for you :D The floppy drive screws should be standard Phillips ( X Shaped ). Hope this helps. Check the ABOUT tab in the channel's main page .. you can get my email address there. Putting it in the comment means I will get heaps of spam :D

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

@@100ThingsIDo Cheers man.👍

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

@@100ThingsIDo Sorry to keep disturbing you but your email does not show anywhere on your channel- also do you know where to buy those asrx torx screws?

[@100ThingsIDo]

@@lynzlynsbrand956 Thats OK .. kzbin.infoabout to get my email address. No idea where you would get new screws.. they would be button head t8 torx but the thread might be different. Might be an idea just to find some normal screws of the same thread. :D

[@lynzlynsbrand956]

@@100ThingsIDo mate i opened the asrx and gave it a clean and put it back together again- my problem is that now there is no sound or signal coming out when i punch the pads - i only opened it to fix the D pad so that i could sell the asrx but no sound- do you know why this could be?

[@itsananke2374]

hey, great job here! I recently got an ASR X but left input records volume way lower than the right one. Any idea how to fix it? Thanks, you're a master

[@100ThingsIDo]

It could be a few things, possibly a capacitor has gone bad in the audio amp chain or one of the OP Amps is failing. Check simple things like there is nothing strange with the jack first . You might need a good tech to track down the issues, hope it gives you. few ides :D

[@itsananke2374]

@@100ThingsIDo thanks a lot, very precise!

[@jdbankshot]

@@100ThingsIDo hi! first off, thank you so much, great vid! ok, i have the exact same model, & the 'stop' button is jammed down & in. i can still touch half of it, but it doesn't move, unresponsive, like my grampa's dick. i'm not sure if i should open it up myself. perhaps it just needs a nudge. what say you, my good sir (question mark inserted here).

[@100ThingsIDo]

@@jdbankshot If its just stuck it should be easy enough to fix. Pull it apart slowly (take lots of photos along the way if your worried you will forget how it goes togeather). Be VERY careful removing the top as there are delicate cables holding the display/top section to the mainboard inside! Should be easy enough but if you have any concerns best to get a tech (or techhy friend) to take a look for you :D

[@jdbankshot]

@@100ThingsIDo thank you so much for the prompt reply, i truly appreciate it! your instructions are very detailed, however, i think i'll take your advice & bring it to my trusted techs. now, as i'm from a commonwealth country, me mates are calling me a wang-ka for not being cheeky. so, here's one that made jimmy carr laugh.... i'm a healthy cannibal, i only eat vegans. cheerio.

[@NathanReevesnate808]

If anone needs service im in usa, based in atlanta ga. Wizard electronics

[@MrThorhammer25]

Email?

[@100ThingsIDo]

Check the ABOUT in the main channel page.. otherwise its 100thingsido ~ gmail.com

[@jamesedinger4956]

That's not a potentiometer

[@100ThingsIDo]

Indeed! Rotary Encoder ... :D